The 49ers are where the Raiders were three years ago – drastically undermanned, in the midst of unrelenting losing, and with Fort Knox-like money under the salary cap. Obviously, the 10-2 Raiders have made the right moves in hiring coach Jack Del Rio, drafting players like Derek Carr and Amari Cooper, and acquiring players like …

After enjoying a career-best year under the first offensive-minded head coach of his career, it seems unlikely that 49ers quarterback Alex Smith will test the market when he becomes a free agent March 13.
On Monday, Smith did nothing to dispel the beli… …

San Francisco police ejected nearly twice as many fans from Candlestick Park on Sunday as during the 49ers’ previous playoff game and arrested 29 people, including a man – accompanied by his 2-year-old son – who threatened an officer, police said Monda… …

A day after mishandling two punt returns, 49ers wide receiver Kyle Williams handled the disturbing fallout from his season-killing fumbles in the NFC Championship Game flawlessly.
Williams received death threats via Twitter in the hours after his fumbl… …

A collection of observations and player/coach comments after the 49ers’ final game of their finest season in 14 years:
— Jim Harbaugh has been rather wily in criticizing officials this season. The coach tends to dissect their shortcomings in a way … …

We love to slap titles on amazing 49ers moments, so let’s name the day after Sunday’s game Hangover Monday.
The party was great, but the next day brought headache, regret and a bill for the crystal goblets you tried to juggle. You have memories that wi… …

After the game, Giants wide receiver Thomas told the Newark Star-Ledger that New York targeted Williams due to his history of concussions and he pointed to Sash’s hit on Williams as proof their game plan worked. After the collision with Sash, Williams had fumbles on punt returns in the fourth quarter and overtime, leading to the Giants’ final 10 points in a 20-17 win. …

(01-23) 15:29 PST — Fear not, Jermon Bushrod. You hardly were the first casualty of Justin Smith’s cartoon-character strength.
Long before Smith shoved Bushrod into infamy in last weekend’s divisional playoffs, he unleashed his powers on three overma… …

Niners cornerback Carlos Rogers, a free-agent-to-be, discussed his desire to stay in San Francisco, for the right price. Rogers, 30, had a career-high six interceptions and earned the first pro Bowl berth of his seven-year career this season. …

It highlighted, again, a glaring weakness for the 49ers, who ranked 31st in the NFL in third-down conversion percentage in the regular season (29.1) and bottomed out during the postseason (5 of 28, 17.9 percent). …

Kyle Williams’ two punt-return fumbles might not have been the only mistakes that cost the 49ers in their 20-17 overtime loss to the Giants in the NFC Championship Game.
San Francisco believes a late-game mistake by the officiating crew also contribute… …

Mike Singletary wasn’t around, so Giants tight end Bear Pascoe said he wasn’t trying to prove anything to anybody Sunday night. It was the 49ers’ former head coach, after all, who told Pascoe he was too slow when he cut the team’s sixth-round pick from… …

The 49ers’ first trip to the NFC Championship Game since January 1998 started well enough, with Alex Smith and Vernon Davis connecting on a 73-yard touchdown play for a 7-0 lead. The defense also came up big most of the day with six sacks against Eli M… …

The news spotlight has moved elsewhere, but Oakland continues to shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars a month for the Occupy protests.
Every week for the past month, more than 100 cops, or roughly one-fifth of the city’s patrol force, are called … …

Unlike in the divisional win over the Saints, Alex Smith and the 49ers’ offense weren’t able to generate much fourth-quarter production against the Giants’ defense. The 49ers were held to 328 total yards and managed only 15 first downs. The Giants’ pas… …